What needs to be on Cosmetics Labelling

Sometimes the labels on cosmetics can be jam-packed with confusing information with unbearably long words, but what actually needs to be on cosmetic and beauty products labels? The following labelling essentials cover many of the fundamentals for labelling cosmetic products.

The cosmetics industry works hard to provide information because knowledge about cosmetics and their ingredients underpins consumer confidence in the products they use.
There are three items that need on the front panel of any product that is sold to consumers:

Name
The brand name or product name

Identity
What is the product? (Soap, face cream, bubble bath, etc)

Net Quantity of Contents
How much actual product is there?  In both US (oz, pounds, pints, etc) AND metric (ml, grams, liters, kilos)

In Europe, cosmetic container labels must list all ingredients in the product formulation using identical terms across the whole of the EU. These terms are based on the International Nomenclature for Cosmetics Ingredients (INCI) along with descriptions of certain substances specified in the Directive.

The Directive also requires other information to be included on product labels:

1)      Name and address of the manufacturer, importer or distributor

2)      Nominal content < by weight or volume

3)      Precautions to be observed in use

4)      Date of minimum durability, or Period After Opening (PAO) for products lasting more than 30 months

5)      Function of the product (unless it is clear from the presentation)

6)      Goods identification reference (e.g. a batch number / manufacturing code)

Special requirements apply to small or unusually shaped products that are difficult to label. The Directive states that precautions to be observed in use and the list of ingredients can be printed on ‘an enclosed leaflet, label, tape or card’. For example, the container and outer packaging of a small or unusually shaped product might display a symbol showing a hand pointing at a book to indicate that information is contained in a leaflet.

Ingredients should be listed in descending order of predominance (based on their percentage, by weight, in the product).  

Blended ingredients used in the product (such as pre-made bases or preservatives) must have their component ingredients listed in the ingredient declaration based on the percentage of use in the entire formula.

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